With flurry of late changes, Senate passes GOP tax reform bill

Photo Credit: Jamie Dupree

With flurry of late changes, Senate passes GOP tax reform bill

By:
Jamie Dupree Jamie Dupree - WSB Radio

December 01 2017 8:52 PM

Photo Credit: Jamie Dupree

In another big step forward for Congressional leaders and President Donald Trump, Republicans muscled a sweeping tax reform bill through the Senate early on Saturday morning, setting up House-Senate negotiations starting next week, as the White House pressed lawmakers to strike a final GOP deal in coming weeks, with a goal of getting the bill to the President's desk by Christmas.

"This tax bill is going to ignite our economy," said Sen. David Perdue (R-GA). "We delivered on an historic opportunity to cut taxes and fix the archaic tax code."

"The vast majority of middle class families are going to get a tax cut," said Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH). "I don't know what's wrong with that."

"The bill also helps small and large businesses by reducing the rates and encouraging businesses to buy new equipment and hire more workers," said Sen. James Lankford (R-OK).

"Over the past 24 hours, I think we've made a really great bill even better, with more middle class tax relief, and more relief for small businesses," said Sen. John Thune (R-SD).

The final tally, which took place just before 2 am, was 51-49. Only Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) broke ranks, as he joined all Democrats in voting against the GOP bill. Corker argued it would add too much to the federal deficit.

The bill now goes to House-Senate negotiations, which are expected to begin next week. The GOP goal is to work out a final deal by the holiday break.

With no summary of the new provisions available, observers were scrambling their way through the revised bill, to figure out what changes had been tucked into the GOP measure. Among the changes proposed in the Senate bill:

+ The Senate plan modifies the current seven income tax brackets, creating rates of 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35% and 38.5%. Unlike the House bill, the tax cuts for individuals in the Senate plan would be temporary, phasing out after 7 years.

+ The Senate bill increases the standard deduction to make up for the repeal of individual itemized deductions, for state and local taxes.

+ Unlike the House bill, the Senate plan gets rid of the individual mandate to buy health insurance under the Obama health law. It's not clear if that will stay in the final GOP bill.

+ A late change in the Senate version was made to include an up to $10,000 deduction for state and local property taxes, identical to a provision in a House-passed bill.

+ The Alternative Minimum Tax was originally eliminated by the Senate bill, but Friday's revisions now brought it back to life, both for individual and corporate taxpayers. This is at odds with the House, which totally eliminated the AMT.

+ Another item eliminated by the House, but revived in the Senate, was the Medical Expenses deduction, though it would live on for only two years under this plan; people would be allowed to deduct expenses when they reached 7.5 percent of a person's adjusted gross income, as opposed to the current 10 percent threshold.

+ Pass-through income would see a deduction of 23 percent of income, up from 17.4 percent, a big win for small businesses.

While Republicans smiled and applauded as the bill was approved, Democrats on the Senate floor were reduced to frustrated legislative bystanders, unable to change the bill in any manner, as they decried the rush as a brazen political power grab by the GOP on taxes.

"It sure looks like the lobbyists have been working overtime," said Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), as Democrats ridiculed a rough draft of the final bill, which contained handwritten scribbles and changes in the margins, some of which were difficult to decipher.

But with only 48 votes - and just one Republican defection on the final vote - Democrats were unable to do anything but complain about the 479 page GOP tax reform plan.

"There is no possible way that any member of this body has read all of that," said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) in a somewhat incredulous tone. "There is no way."

Democrats did register one win in the late night votes on amendments to the tax reform bill, as with the help of four Republicans, the Senate voted 52-48 to strike a provision championed by Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) that would have set out a narrow exemption from a GOP plan to slap excise taxes on college endowments.

Toomey's plan would have applied to colleges that don't take federal funding of any type, and have small student populations; but a sharp backlash attracted four GOP votes, and scuttled that provision.

The tax reform bill now goes back to the House, which is ready to ask for a joint House-Senate conference committee to hammer out a final compromise. That procedural vote is expected on Monday evening.

Read More

The Latest Headlines You Need To Know

A pair of Boeing 737 Max 8 jets that crashed shortly after takeoff in recent months from Indonesia and Ethiopia lacked two key safety features because they were considered optional extras, The New York Times reported Thursday. >> Read more trending news Authorities continue to investigate the causes of the Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashes, but similarities between the disasters pointed to possible issues with the planes’ stall-prevention systems, called MCAS, according to The Wall Street Journal. The software system can, in some circumstances, point the nose of the plane down to avoid an aerodynamic stall, The Associated Press reported. >> Boeing 737 Max 8: Transportation secretary asks for review of FAA certification A pair of optional Boeing safety features might have helped pilots determine if the system was giving erroneous readings and pushing the nose of the plane down without cause, the Times reported. One of the optional upgrades would have displayed readings from the plane’s sensors while the other, called a disagree light, would have been activated if the sensors were pulling conflicting information, according to the Times. Boeing officials plan to make the disagree light a standard feature on all new 737 Max planes, the Times reported, citing an unidentified source. The sensor reading display will remain optional. >> Ethiopian Airlines crash: Captain reported issues shortly after takeoff Neither feature has been mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration, according to the Times. Boeing officials are expected to complete a software update to 737 Max anti-stall systems by Monday, according to the AP. Officials with the Federal Aviation Administration are expected to certify the company’s changes and its plans to train pilots on the system within the next two months, the AP reported. >> Photos: Ethiopian Airlines crash kills 157, including 8 Americans The Journal previously reported the update had been planned in the wake of October’s Lion Air crash, but work was stalled by disagreements over technical and engineering issues between Boeing and FAA officials. The update was also set back by the five-week government shutdown sparked in December by President Donald Trump’s demand for funding to build his border wall, according to the Journal. Lion Air Flight 610 crashed in October shortly after takeoff from Jakarta, Indonesia, killing 189 people. Less than five months later, on March 10, Ethiopian Air Flight 302 crashed shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, killing 157 people. >> Lion Air jet with 189 on board crashes in sea off Indonesia; no survivors expected As investigations into the crashes continue, authorities worldwide have grounded Boeing 737 Max aircraft.

Florida Man makes headlines across the globe almost every day of the week. Now viral social media posts have people finding the Florida Man that matches their personality by Googling “Florida Man” along with their birthday (year not included). >>> Check the 'What the Florida!' section of the WFTV mobile app to stay up to date on the latest Florida Man news <<< TRENDING NOW: Jennifer Kesse: Missing woman's family settles lawsuit against Orlando police All lanes of I-95 southbound shut down after tanker truck tips over, spills fuel across highway Video captures SUV just before crash that injured 4 children in Ormond-by-the-Sea VIDEO: Report: Virginia woman fatally shot herself while handcuffed Maybe on that day Florida Man stole cigarettes and booze while wearing Spider-Man mask (March 15). Or he scared the public by walking around with a rattlesnake he found on the road wrapped around his neck (February 18). The viral craze started based off of a Tumblr post last week and a tweet on Tuesday. As of Thursday afternoon the tweet had 21,743 retweets and 92,213 likes. EVERYBODY google “florida man” followed by your birthday (florida man august 22) and tell me what you get. mine is Florida Man tries to attack neighbor with tractor— swervin merv (@g_pratimaaa) March 19, 2019 If you aren’t satisfied with the Florida Man story that comes up for your birthday, here are a few of our favorite Florida Man stories from the past year: Police: Man shot after refusing shot at Ocoee bar Semi-nude man rides bicycle backward -- again -- on Florida interstate WATCH: Man caught on camera licking doorbell of Florida home No dough: Florida men steal empty safe at Domino's Only in Florida: Man seen hanging onto car's hood on interstate ‘Florida Man’ had quite a year: A look back at 2018 DOWNLOAD: Free WFTV News & Weather Apps Not near a TV? Click here to watch WFTV newscasts live Watch Live: Doppler 9 HD

The Florida man accused of sending pipe bombs last year to several high-profile critics of President Donald Trump is expected to plead guilty Thursday in a Manhattan federal court. >> Read more trending news Cesar Sayoc is scheduled to appear at 4 p.m. for a change of plea hearing before U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff. Sayoc pleaded not guilty in November to a slew of charges after he was identified as the man suspected of mailing pipe bombs to targets including CNN, former President Barack Obama and actor Robert De Niro. >> Cesar Sayoc Jr.: What we know about the man arrested for sending package bombs Sayoc has been held without bail since his late-October arrest outside a South Florida auto parts store. He had been living in a van covered with stickers of Trump and showing images of some Trump opponents with crosshairs over their faces. Authorities launched an investigation in October after pipe bombs were mailed to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and philanthropist George Soros. In the subsequent days, similar devices were mailed to several other prominent Trump critics, including U.S. Rep Maxine Waters, D-Calif., and Democratic donor Tom Steyer. >> 2nd mail bomb to Tom Steyer recovered; suspect agrees to remain jailed, face charges in New York Authorities said Sayoc was linked to the packages after investigators found his fingerprints and DNA on some of them. Without a plea deal, Sayoc faced charges carrying a potential penalty of mandatory life in prison. A court filing last Friday didn't indicate which charge or charges the plea would involve. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A Florida woman faced a judge Wednesday in connection with the death of a 4-year-old boy. >> Watch the news report here On Tuesday night, the Orange County Sheriff's Office arrested Mariah Butler of Orlando on charges of aggravated manslaughter of a child and neglect of a child. >> On WFTV.com: Boy, 4, dies after being found in SUV parked outside school Investigators said Logan Starling, the son of Butler's boyfriend, was left inside a hot SUV in the parking lot of the Elite Preparatory Academy in October 2018. Detectives said four other children got out of the SUV and went into the school at about 8:20 a.m., but Starling didn’t exit the car. Court documents show Butler, who worked at the school, was asked during the day where her stepson, Logan, was. The documents also stated that it wasn't until she was asked again at the end of the day that she realized the child was still in the car. >> On WFTV.com: Stepmother of boy who died in hot SUV quits job after receiving death threats Authorities said Butler found Starling in the third row of the SUV, leaning against the window with his eyes closed. The school's director carried Starling to a nearby fire station, authorities said. Starling was then taken to a hospital, where his body temperature was recorded at 108 degrees. For perspective, doctors say a fever above 104 degrees can cause brain damage. The investigation also showed the inside temperature of the car was 121 degrees when the boy was removed. Investigators believe he was in the car for six hours. Butler claimed she remembered Starling getting out of the SUV and that she locked the doors when they were walking into the school. >> Read more trending news Documents said Butler believed Starling got into the SUV later, but she wasn’t sure how. She said during an interview that Starling suffered from autism and was known for wandering around. But arrest documents show Starling’s teacher disputed that claim, and video showed the child never left the SUV. 'You were arrested pursuant to a probable cause capias, where probable cause was previously found for the offense of aggravated manslaughter of a child and neglect of a child,” the judge said in court. Butler was ordered to remain in the Orange County Jail on $15,000 bail. Logan's family believes the bond was set too low. Butler was later able to bond out of jail Wednesday evening. 'Six months of no punishment for Mariah seemed like six years,' said Logan's great grandfather Roy Werner. 'But six months of Logan being gone seems like six days.

Orlando city leaders are preparing two new hubs in downtown Orlando for Uber and Lyft drivers waiting for people who need a ride home. The hubs could not only keep area roads safer by helping people find a ride after drinking, they could also help relieve some of the congestion that takes place downtown around 2 a.m., when bars close. The two hubs will be in places easy to access by those enjoying the downtown nightlife. The first is on Magnolia Avenue near the Orange County Regional History Center and Heritage Square Park, close to a cluster of bars. The second will be located further west, closer to I-4. That hub is planned for Gertrude Street, near Washington and Jefferson. The hubs will only operate late at night on Fridays and Saturdays, from midnight to 3 a.m. This is a trial run for the ride-sharing plan, which will run for 6 months.

Washington Insider

Apart from a few GOP voices in the U.S. House and Senate, most Republican lawmakers in Congress had little to say in recent days about President Donald Trump's continuing attacks on the late Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), as the President used a speech in Ohio on Wednesday to launch an extended series of jabs as the former POW. 'I have to be honest - I've never liked him much,' Mr. Trump said at a speech at a tank production plant in Lima, Ohio. With Congress on break this week, many Republicans stayed away from the tide of remarks by the President, as only a handful of GOP officials stood up to tell Mr. Trump to back off, and leave the dead U.S. Senator alone. 'It’s deplorable what he said,” Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA) said of President Trump in a Wednesday radio interview with Georgia Public Broadcasting. “That’s what I called it from the floor of the Senate seven months ago. It will be deplorable seven months from now if he says it again, and I will continue to speak out,' said Isakson, who has been one of McCain's few public defenders in the GOP to push back directly at Mr. Trump. 'John McCain is an American hero and I am thankful for his life of service and legacy to our country and Arizona,' said Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ), who now holds his seat in Congress - though McSally did not directly mention the President in her statement. But Rep. Peter King R-NY, and Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) were outliers, as some supporters said the President was needlessly picking a fight - with a dead man - which he will never win. 'President 0. Dead Man 1,' wrote conservative talk radio host Erick Erickson. 'Let's be a little less coo-coo,' said Anthony Scaramucci on CNN Thursday morning, who served in the White House for a very short period of time in 2017, but remains a strong supporter of the President. Here's the President's full remarks about McCain from the Wednesday event: In a late night email sent to reporters on Wednesday, the McCain Institute pushed back - without mentioning the President by name - as the group defended the late GOP Senator, and one time Republican nominee for President in 2008. 'John McCain was held for 5 years in a Vietnamese prison and brutally tortured,' the group wrote, offering a laundry list of supportive items from his resume in the military and in Congress. 'John McCain always called on America to stand up for its values of freedom and democracy,' the group added, as even in death, McCain was still embroiled in battles with President Trump.